


Employer Relations

by hollyand



Series: Hawke Health Clubs (Modern London / Gym AU) [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe - British, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bethany and Carver Hawke Live, Boss/Employee Relationship, Gyms, M/M, physiotherapy, protein shakes, weightlifting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-08-28 06:40:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16718278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollyand/pseuds/hollyand
Summary: Modern!AU. Garrett Hawke runs Hawke Health Clubs, an upcoming chain of high-end gyms in London, UK. Life is going well… until physiotherapist Anders applies to Hawke’s flagship gym for a job.There’s only one problem: Hawke might be his boss, but he fancies the pants off him. How on earth is he going to handle this? (Carver is never gonna let him live this one down.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This AU is actually from an as-yet-unpublished longfic that I’ve been writing for the past two years (primary pairing Carver/Merrill), but I’m really glad for the chance to explore Hawke and Anders’s relationship in more detail than I have done so far in the other (unfinished) longfic – I actually started writing this back in mid-2017 for the Handerslympics event, but I’ve only just decided to publish it. So… here’s a prequel to that not-yet-published longfic!

The man who sat opposite Garrett Hawke in their plush office was not the one he expected to see right now. However, when the man in question was his brother – some six years younger – and an employee at the luxury gym chain Hawke owned, the onus was therefore on Hawke to listen to what he had to say.

‘You’ll need to hire the best,’ Carver was saying, folding his brawny arms and fixing Hawke with a hard stare as he sat across the polished mahogany desk, ‘and you know Hawke Health Clubs needs the best. You let me help you run other aspects of your business – why won’t you let me sit in on this job interview?’

Hawke settled back in his chair before replying. ‘I appreciate your concern, but I don’t think it’ll be necessary,’ he answered, and Carver scowled. ‘We’ve been trying to hire a physiotherapist for a while, and this is the only person I’ve found that even looks _remotely_ qualified.’

Carver shrugged his broad shoulders. ‘Still think it’ll help if you have a second opinion.’

‘Fine.’ Hawke sighed; he could see it was no use protesting. ‘You can sit in.’

‘Good.’ Carver relaxed a little; he seemed to appreciate that Hawke was involving him in hiring decisions at last. ‘Remember what happened to that last physiotherapist we hired, Brother. Just want to make sure this new one’s serious about the job.’

Hawke had to stop himself rolling his eyes at his brother stating the obvious. ‘Of course.’

‘Good. I don’t want us to make _that_ mistake again.’

‘We won’t. Haven’t you got a personal training client soon? Maybe you should be out on the gym floor?’

‘In a few minutes, yeah. He’s not here yet, though, so I thought I’d come and talk to you about this physio we’re interviewing.’

Hawke pulled out a drawer in his desk, and retrieved a small pocket mirror to check his appearance was in order before his interviewee showed up. Amber-brown eyes stared back at him out of his lightly tanned face; he was pleased to note that his dark beard was still as neatly-trimmed and soft as when he’d left the house this morning, and that his short dark hair – the same colour as Carver’s – had held its equally neat styling.

Even if it was more important for his interviewee to make a good impression, as the owner of Hawke Health Clubs, Garrett was determined that he himself looked exactly the part of the wealthy successful owner of a high-end gym – regardless of whether this physio turned out to be worth the effort or not.

‘Brother.’ Carver’s voice grabbed his attention again; Hawke tucked the mirror back into the drawer and met his brother’s disapproving, blue-eyed glare. ‘You’ve got time to admire your appearance _later_. I’m talking to you _now_.’ 

Hawke leaned forward. ‘Well, what do you want to know?’

‘A name would be a good start.’

‘His name’s Anders,’ Hawke answered, pushing the physiotherapist’s CV over to Carver for the latter to look through the man’s work history and qualifications. ‘His CV says he had his own practice for some years. Did a lot of work for free, from what I understand, but says he wants a change of direction in his career.’

‘He seems to have the right qualifications, at least,’ Carver said, glancing at the document in front of him. ‘When’s he coming in for his interview?’

‘Just after lunchtime. You don’t have any clients scheduled for then, do you?’

Carver shook his head. ‘No. Got one in a few minutes, as you know, and then the rest of them aren’t till much later in the afternoon – and in the evening, after they’ve finished work.’

‘Hmmm.’ Hawke reached over to the laptop situated at one side of his desk, and ran his finger over the touchpad; the screen flickered to life. ‘So, you have a few hours free – that might be useful to know…’

Carver’s brows knitted into a frown. ‘Why?’

‘We have a few new clients looking for personal trainers at the gym.’ Hawke scrolled through the information on the screen. ‘Gym members looking to take the next step on their fitness journey. Donnic’s and Fenris’s schedules seem fairly full, but I see Aveline’s light on personal training clients at the moment…’

Hawke narrowed his eyes in concentration as he continued scrolling; when he spoke again it was more to himself. ‘And… it looks like most of the new clients looking for personal trainers are women…’

‘Well, that’s a moot point, since you never let me train women anyway,’ Carver grumbled. ‘I’m not gonna sleep with all our female clients and bring your gym into disrepute. I do _know_ how to be professional, you know.’ 

‘Carver.’ Garrett sighed; they’d had this conversation countless times in the years his younger brother had worked for him. ‘ _Stop_.’

‘Why?’ Carver pressed. ‘I’m almost twenty- _five_. I’m not a kid anymore. And you still don’t trust me.’

‘Carver – look, I know this is important to you, but now is really not the time. We’ll talk about this later, OK? I have to prepare for an interview. And you should really get going, before you’re late for your client.’

Carver glared at him and stomped out. Garrett sighed again, and sat down at the desk, looking again over the CV in his hands. According to the document he was holding, Anders was an experienced physiotherapist and seemed like he might be a good fit for Hawke Health Clubs and its ambitions. All he had to do now was find out if Anders was everything Hawke hoped he would be.

***

Perhaps the only thing Garrett could be glad for was that Carver’s current girlfriend, Peaches, had no interest in even setting foot inside a gym. At least he didn’t have to worry about Carver getting distracted or behaving unprofessionally on _that_ front. Bad enough that they had to put up with her presence in the first place, but Garrett did not want to see the girl more often than he was forced to.

He still remembered the disastrous Christmas she’d spent with them at the Hawkes, even though it was some months ago now. Their parents had received her politely enough – it had been their suggestion that they meet Carver’s latest girlfriend, after all – but Peaches had behaved so rudely to the family that even Carver’s patient twin Bethany found as many excuses as possible to leave the room. Bethany had even remarked she could understand why Carver had been so reluctant to introduce her to the family, although the one person Peaches was charming to was Garrett himself.

To Carver, she’d barely said anything; and Garrett got the impression his brother and his girlfriend were not together for any reasons beyond purely… _physical_  reasons. Peaches was a loud, fun-loving, flirty, busty blonde, and while it would not be fair to judge her on any of those attributes, the fact that she had been so demanding and bad-mannered – not to mention being far more open about her sex life with Carver than any of the Hawke family preferred – did not make Garrett feel any more disposed to give her the benefit of the doubt. The final straw had come, however, when she’d loudly complained that the Hawke household was too cold for her to wear the skimpy clothes she’d brought for her stay, and then complained about the family’s attempts to accommodate her – and their mother Leandra was only too glad to see the back of Peaches when she’d unexpectedly left on Christmas Eve to spend Christmas Day itself with her own family… but not before demanding Carver drive her all the way there before he drove back to the Hawkes afterwards.

Peaches, much to Hawke’s surprise, was waiting outside the gym, her huge breasts hanging out of her tight top so conspicuously that even Hawke himself had to resist the temptation to stare. 

‘Garrett!’ she addressed him breathily, batting her thick black mascara-covered eyelashes. ‘It’s so good to see you!’

‘Hello, Peaches,’ he answered, politely. ‘Lovely to see you too. Waiting for Carver?’

Peaches tossed her long bleached-blonde hair back and smiled, and Hawke couldn’t help wondering if she was trying to seduce him. ‘Is he coming? He promised he’d take me out for lunch. I’m getting my nails done afterwards for a party, and he promised he’d pay for that too.’

‘I’m sure he’s coming,’ Hawke said, as Peaches brandished her beautifully manicured nails at him, before adjusting her breasts in her top and batting her false eyelashes so ferociously that Hawke was almost certain she was trying to seduce him. He couldn’t help wondering if Carver had ever explained to Peaches that Hawke wasn’t interested in women. ‘He mentioned he was going for lunch with you, although I warned him not to be late coming back.’

‘Oh, I’ll take good care of him,’ Peaches purred, ‘don’t you worry, Garrett. Won’t you come for lunch with us? I’m _sure_ Carver won’t mind if you’re there, and that way you can make sure he won’t be late!’

‘Thank you,’ Hawke replied, feeling very sure Carver _wouldn’t_ want him there, and feeling very sure he _himself_ wouldn’t want to be there. ‘It’s a kind offer, Peaches, but I think I should leave you two to it.’

Peaches pouted.

‘I really should go,’ Hawke continued, grateful for the excuse to leave. ‘I need to get my own lunch – just make sure Carver comes back in time, OK? And sober, too – I need him to help me with an interview for a new physio. See you around!’

None of the Hawkes were ever quite clear what Peaches actually did for a living, only that she seemed to spend an awful lot of time shopping for designer clothes on Carver’s credit card. The only other things she seemed to do was pass the rest of her days in various beauty salons and hairdressers, and go out to bars and nightclubs – and the latter sometimes meant Carver had occasionally turned up to work late and hungover the next day, and had to be reprimanded by Garrett where it affected his performance as a personal trainer.

Hawke had already warned Carver not to turn up drunk for the interview with Anders, but he hoped that passing on a second message through Carver’s girlfriend would ensure it. For some reason, Peaches paid attention to what Hawke thought and said – much more than she seemed to pay attention to what Carver thought or felt – and Hawke decided to use it to his advantage.

Now to find out if Anders, this prospective new physio, lived up to his potential. Hawke strode on, quickly, determined to purchase and finish his lunch well before the interview was due to take place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> British English chapter note: the abbreviation ‘CV’ stands for ‘curriculum vitae’ and is what people in the US call a résumé – a one-page or two-page document detailing a person’s employment history, skills and education.


	2. Chapter 2

To say Anders was nervous about this job interview was an understatement. Even though he was well-qualified and came with glowing references, it was the first job he’d ever applied for that wasn’t a role in either a disability charity or the NHS, and he couldn’t help wondering how different the expectations of a private sector role would be.

He pulled his messy blond hair into a ponytail and hoped it would be presentable enough. A teal-coloured jacket over a brown waistcoat came next, finished off with smart black jeans and black boots, and Anders regretted that he hadn’t bought a suit for the interview. He hadn’t really needed it for the charity he’d previously worked for (and he still planned to volunteer for them in his spare time, even if he got this job), but he’d had no idea how a high-end gym would expect him to dress. He’d never even _been_ inside one, but could only hope that a gym would be less formal than any other type of work environment… even if this job _did_ seem comparatively cushy and well-paid compared to his previous jobs. 

Treating the sporting injuries of the rich and pampered was not how Anders would have planned his career; but this was one of the only jobs Anders could find that would pay him enough to just _exist_ in this blasted expensive city, and still allow him time to work for the charity for free – to pay him enough to live on while he could continue to do some good. He fastened the large round gold buckle on his belt, gave himself a final once-over in the mirror, and left his apartment.     

The Hawke Health Clubs flagship gym was easy enough to find, once Anders had made the time-consuming journey into central London via various underground trains – but first Anders had an errand to run in part of the city he hated: the Square Mile. The part where millionaire bankers wined and dined their even richer clients a stone’s throw away from where they worked, convincing themselves that everyone in this city lived like they did and earned what they earned: people who knew everything about the value of the hedge fund they invested in but no idea of the price of milk in the local supermarket.

While the Hawke Health Clubs branch he was going to was not the one based in the City, Anders considered that its (probably wealthy) members might well hold similar attitudes and snobbery. Still. He really needed this job.

The lobby was spacious and smart, and surprised Anders by being there at all – not that he’d ever really spent time in gyms, but as far as he knew, they generally didn’t tend to have huge lobbies, much less entrance halls that looked like they could have fronted a five-star hotel. Everything was shiny, spotless marble and high ceilings, peach-and-cream walls, leather seats and mahogany desks; and Anders couldn’t help wondering, briefly, if Hawke Health Clubs had taken their taste from the reception areas of posh hotels and banking headquarters, rather than other gyms. Or maybe all high-end gyms were like this, and Anders was the one out of place.

He walked over to the receptionist, a smart brunette sitting under the glare of a halogen spotlight who looked up at him as he approached, and spoke before Anders had even reached her wide, stylish desk.

‘Can I help you?’

‘Yes,’ Anders answered, as a strapping, dark-haired man walked up to the receptionist, seemingly ignoring that Anders was being served first, ‘I have an appointment for an interview with Garrett Hawke.’

‘Garrett Hawke?’ the dark-haired man barked, and Anders looked at him. Blue eyes scowled at him, and the man folded his brawny arms. ‘You Anders?’

Anders tried not to match the other man’s scowl and folded arms. ‘Yes. I am.’

‘Right.’

The surly blue-eyed man looked him up and down; Anders was usually much taller than most people he met, but he couldn’t help thinking this man might even be a little taller. He appeared the sort to try and intimidate by using his broadness and muscularity, and Anders had to resist glaring back at him.

‘I’ll deal with this,’ the man said to the receptionist. ‘He’s got an interview with my brother and I this afternoon.’ He turned back to Anders. ‘I’m Carver Hawke. I run the gym with my brother.’

‘Nice to meet you,’ Anders lied, holding a hand out for him to shake; and Carver Hawke at least had the good grace to shake hands even if he looked like he’d rather not. ‘I’m Anders, as you already know.’

‘You’re just in time. My brother is in his office, which is where we’ll be interviewing you. I’ll lead you through.’

The office was not far from the reception, and overlooked the gym itself via a huge glass window. Upon entering the room – and even the Hawke brothers’ office looked expensive, with its large mahogany desk – a well-built, dark-haired man with a neat beard and amber-brown eyes stood and greeted Anders warmly with a smile. _This_ man – who introduced himself as Garrett Hawke – was almost as muscular as his brother, and Anders was immediately struck by how different they seemed to be. Where Carver was surly and guarded, Garrett was friendly and open; where Carver had regarded him with suspicion, Garrett regarded him with interest.

Garrett was also tall, lightly tanned and around thirty – he looked to be the same sort of age as Anders himself was, although perhaps not quite as tall – and _very_ , very handsome. Anders gulped.

_Oh no. He’s hot. How am going to get through this interview if he keeps smiling at me like that?_

Outwardly, Anders returned Garrett Hawke’s smile as best as he could – he _really_ needed this job – and sat down where Hawke indicated.

‘Lovely to meet you, Anders,’ Hawke said, and he sounded as if he genuinely meant it. ‘Should I get you some tea or coffee? Or even a glass of water?’

Anders’s mouth watered at the thought of a nice hot mug of tea, but then he remembered an old job interview tip a friend had given him: _never accept tea or coffee at the interview, Anders, in case you spill it and it stains everything in front of your prospective employer_. ‘Just a glass of water for me, thanks,’ he found himself replying.

‘I’ll have some as well, Brother,’ Carver said in a curt voice, as Hawke went to the water-cooler. ‘Thanks.’

‘We shall _all_ have some,’ Hawke returned good-humouredly. ‘It’s… rather _hot_ in here right now, so it will probably help.’

Anders noticed Carver giving his brother a puzzled frown, but nothing more was said until Hawke gave them each their glass of water, and sat down behind his grand desk. Carver sat next to him, arms folded; but Hawke leaned forward on his desk on bulky forearms, and stared at him so intensely that Anders desperately wanted to unbutton his shirt collar. He gulped again.    

‘So,’ Hawke began, ‘now we’re all seated comfortably, allow me to tell you a little about Hawke Health Clubs. I founded this gym chain several years ago, at the site we’re in now, aiming for the luxury end of the fitness and health clubs market. Over the past two years we’ve expanded all over London – fitness is increasingly big business in this city – and we want to be the premier health and wellness space in Central London and beyond. Our members are mainly the well-paid or wealthy, and we have even managed to attract the odd celebrity client to our club and away from our rivals.’

Anders nodded along politely. This was mostly stuff he knew from his research into the company, browsing through their no-doubt-expensively-designed website, but he let Garrett Hawke give him the usual company spiel anyway, all the while feeling dismayed.

Regardless of how much he needed this employment opportunity, surely he would _never_ be able to convince Hawke he would fit in here. Everything oozed class, elegance, and money; Anders was fairly certain he oozed none of those things.

Hell, even Hawke and his brother, in their tight Hawke Health Clubs company T-shirts, looked smarter than he did – not to mention that both men looked like they could benchpress Anders himself for several reps without breaking a sweat.

Anders gulped. Now was not the time to think of Garrett Hawke benchpressing him, or anything else he could be doing with him on the gym benches…

 _Concentrate, Anders. This is a job interview_.

‘So as you can tell,’ Carver continued, once his brother had stopped talking, and once Anders had stopped making interested noises at the appropriate points, ‘we’re a growing company with big plans for our gym chain, and we’re looking to hire staff that can fit into that. Your CV indicates you haven’t worked in this kind of environment before. What made you suddenly decide you wanted to work for a gym, and what makes you think you’ll be a good fit for us and our ambitions?’

There was something in Carver’s tone that indicated that he _didn’t_ think Anders was a good fit for Hawke Health Clubs or its professed ambitions, but Anders tried not to bristle at it anyway. Job interviews, someone once told him, were like a game of tennis: no matter how hard the initial serve, it was up to you to meet it, and bat it away as skilfully as you could. Anders’s ex-boyfriend Karl Thekla had been much more sanguine; and his calm advice, reflected Anders, was probably more helpful right now: job interviews were not just for prospective employers to see if you were a good fit for them; they were also for _you_ to see if _they_ were a good fit for _you_.

And with Garrett Hawke looking at him with such interest like that, in contrast to his brother’s harshness, it was much easier for Anders to wonder if Hawke Health Clubs would indeed be a good fit for him. He answered as calmly as he could, emphasising his skills and many years of experience, and was encouraged by Hawke’s approving nod – and by Hawke’s far gentler questions.

‘But you’ve worked for so many years in the NHS and a disability charity,’ Carver objected, looking down at Anders’s CV, ‘so why are you—’

‘I think that’s very noble of you,’ Hawke cut in. ‘Putting your skills to good use, and helping those who need it.’

‘Thank you,’ Anders replied, sincerely, and Hawke beamed at him. His amber eyes were soft, gentle; and despite Carver’s demeanour indicating that the interview perhaps _wasn’t_ going so well, Hawke’s attitude was so warm and kind that Anders couldn’t help thinking how much he would like to work under this man. ‘I believe in helping those who need it.’

Carver frowned at Hawke. ‘Brother,’ he started, ‘what—’

‘I think we’ve heard enough, haven’t you?’ Hawke smiled at Anders encouragingly, not even looking at Carver. ‘I think we know everything we need to know.’

Carver opened his mouth to protest, then seemed to decide against it. Anders swallowed, trying not to let his nervousness show.

‘You will hear from us when we’ve made our decision,’ was all Carver said, putting the CV document back on the desk in resignation, and Anders couldn’t help suspecting that the brothers were going to have some harsh words with each other later. But the older Hawke brother – the handsome one – had other ideas.

‘I was about to tell him he’s got the job,’ Hawke retaliated. ‘When can you start, Anders?’  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ”NHS” stands for National Health Service, and is the system of socialised healthcare we have in the UK. It’s funded through taxes, so it’s free at the point of use for British citizens – we (generally) don’t have to pay any time we need to use it.
> 
> Also, a note on Anders running errands in "the City":- In the UK, "the City" or "the City of London" (note the capital "C" rather than a small "c") refers to a very specific district within London's city centre that is the financial district - it is sometimes referred to as "the Square Mile". Think of it as being the British equivalent of New York's Wall Street, or whichever part of a city houses a country's stock exchange. This square mile area was the original city of London, founded by the Romans in 43AD, and well before London expanded to become the sprawling metropolis that it is today. 
> 
> The boundaries of the Square Mile / the City originally had gates, which were guarded by these dragon statues which you can still see today.
> 
> Hawke Health Clubs has a gym branch in this area (to take advantage of having wealthy bankers and millionaire financiers as clients), but I headcanon that the flagship gym - the gym Anders is going for an interview at - is not based in this part of central London, but in the part of central London that's closer to where the media companies and publishing houses are (so around Soho / Bloomsbury / Mayfair / the West End).  
> 

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hello at [hollyand-writes.tumblr.com](http://hollyand-writes.tumblr.com)


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